The University of Utah dedicated its first auditorium, Kingsbury Hall, on 22 May 1930. The $275,000 assembly hall was funded by the State of Utah and named in honor of Joseph T. Kingsbury, who served as President of the University from 1897 until 1926. Kingsbury Hall is one of nine buildings in the University Circle historic district, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The auditorium was built with a projection booth and an organ loft, to accommodate silent films.